Discussion

11" skillets vs. 10 and 12 inches...

I'm looking at the Demeyere Proline 11" skillet. There is also a 12.6 and a 9.5......do you think the 11 be a good replacement for both a 10 and 12 inch...or should I consider both the 11 and 9.5? Thanks!

True, perhaps I should have worded my question differently. I have never used or seen an 11 inch (considering an online purchase), so was hoping those who have had experience with one can tell me if they tend to reach for it when they would have normally reached for a 10 inch or a 12 inch. Or, if they have an 11 inch, do they still find themselves wanting to use a smaller pan, like a 9.5?

Even cooking for just myself, I find I like a large pan. I use the 32cm De Buyer country pan a lot and an ~11 inch skillet for most things. An 8" non-stick skillet is really too small for anything other than a pair of medium size eggs IMHO, two jumbo eggs just make one big egg "patty".

With Lodge cast iron, I'm most likely to use the 12" skillet over the 10". With the Demeyere Proline skillet, I grab the 11" model most. Non-stick, I'm testing a new larger model - so far so good.

Over time, I learned a partially filled large skillet is better than an over-filled smaller skillet.

Some time ago I bought an 11" French skillet because a 10" skillet I had been using was too crowded for what I wanted to do. The 11" is significantly larger because it is a little higher as well as wider. But I still use a 10" or 9" pan when it's the right size. I like having lots of pans and wouldn't want to use my 11" for everything.

BTW, Chef's Resource has an closeout sale of the Proline. Use code "cook20" today only for an extra 20% off.

I started out with a single Demeyere Proline 5 star skillet. Now I have another one and 2 additional pieces. The same thing happened with the De Buyer steel pans, I bought a starter pan and now have so many Mineral pans I don't have the exact number (though I have the right pan for each job now!).

Unless cooking in your 12" is near-to-capacity, I would stay with something that fits your hob, that is to say, smaller than that. I have a LC 12" that is all but uselessly big.

It also depends somewhat what you are cooking on. Demeyere is a little cagey when it comes to its TriplInduc-based pans. If you listen closely to the audio track of this video, you can hear them twice qualify their puffery on using "premium" induction hobs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsdObJ...

Another thing to remember is that the effective cooking area of an 11" skillet is about 8", which is the largest size of a typical home hob. So if you need to brown reveles larger than 8"...

I guess it really depends on what you are cooking, how you cook, and how much. I wouldn't call a 12" Lodge CI skillet "uselessly big" for example. That size works well for me with 2 hamburger patties or two steaks.

"Puffery" or not, those Demeyere Proline skillets heat evenly, even on an undersized burner at reasonable heat levels. Sure, I'd love to have a working 12 inch burner but I have had good results with an 8 inch if I wait for the skillet to heat up before I start cooking. On high heat, you will loose some of the evenness though.

For me, the uselessness of the LC 12" (and now the 15") inheres in its poor conductivity. It's >100F different between center and edge of floor.

I'm sure the Proline skillets *do* heat more evenly. I took the Demeyere disclaimer about "premium induction hobs" as a warning not to expect great evenness on low-budget induction hobs. Why else would they make such a disclaimer?

I never did get an induction burner, but the Demeyere Proline skillets are the bomb! They are fantastic on my gas stove! They heart very evenly and quickly - I love them. I have a number of Demeyere Atlantis cookware pieces and although they cost a small fortune, I am so thrilled with the cooking results, and I am glad that I did get them.

Good on you. Demeyere Atlantis is a heavy favorite for best clad anywhere. I think the disclaimer was just their polite way of saying "Don't blame us if these pans don't shine like in our video on a cheapo induction hotplate."